Rabbit Hole Redux
by lone astronomer
Summary: Set a few months after Rabbit Hole. Booth and Bones revisit an earlier conversation. This time, though, it's Booth who's left speechless.


Rabbit Hole Redux

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Fox and/or Kathy Reichs. I'm actually not sure how that works but they've probably both made a killing and I have made nothing so if you are also searching for money then look away! No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Several weeks, or months, after the events of "Rabbit Hole," Temperance reaches a startling conclusion.

It's the first thing that comes to her mind and that is sort of funny. She has the feeling that most people would be hurt, would need some kind of emotional outlet. She doesn't really feel much of anything, and the errant thought teases her.

Later she meets with Booth for drinks – his idea, and for once 'drinks' actually sounds inviting. The two of them sit quietly at the bar and she stares absently into her gin and tonic until Booth caves. He's lasted approximately three minutes.

"You got something you want to tell me?"

Temperance has never been so grateful to be so transparent. "David broke up with me," she says, and can find no trace of emotion in her voice. She takes a first, short sip of her bitter drink.

Booth looks about as surprised as she herself was, which is to say not very. Clearly he senses there's something _else_ bothering her, because he prompts, thirty seconds later, "And...?"

Brennan flashes a very brief, somewhat bewildered expression in his direction and says, as though is shocked with herself, "And the first thing I thought was, 'I should have broken up with him first.'"

Booth's already laughing like that's the funniest thing he's ever heard, and for some reason that doesn't offend her, so she just keeps talking.

"I mean, shouldn't I have been upset? Shouldn't I be angry? The first thing I thought was that I should have broken up with him first and I haven't been able to think anything else about it since!"

Calming down enough to get all four legs of the barstool back on the floor, Booth shakes his head and gives her an affectionate punch in the shoulder. "Ah, Bones. It's good to know you're human after all."

Wait, what? "I don't - "

He obviously knows what she was going to say. "It's your ego talking," he assures her with a smile. "Reflex. Preservation of self, that kind of thing."

Brennan stares, first at him and then at her drink. "I hate psychology."

"You don't seem to be too upset."

If she should feel guilty for not being broken-hearted, she doesn't. "I didn't even _like_ him," Temperance confesses almost too honestly. Booth chokes a little on his scotch.

"You didn't?"

She shrugs self-consciously. "He was too possessive, controlling. Too Alpha male." Booth's twitch barely registers in her peripheral vision. "I get enough of that from you."

"If you needed him to back off, I could've threatened him for you."

The idea makes her smile dance across her lips. "That would have gone over well."

She can feel his eyes boring into her and the smile turns in at one corner, becoming a smirk. "What?"

There's a certain amount of amusement to this next revelation, but she's careful with it, keeps her tone light. She hasn't forgotten a night not so unlike this one not so very long ago. "He broke up with me because he thought I was having an affair with you."

Temperance sits back a bit just to watch the conflicting expressions on Booth's face. She can't exactly identify them; she's still not good with people. But that doesn't mean it's not entertaining. "Oops." He sounds at least a little bit contrite.

"I told you, I didn't even like him."

"Yeah, well," Booth takes a sip of his scotch, "me, neither." She punches him back, just as playfully, and rolls her eyes. Even _she_ had noticed that. "Why'd you go out with him,then?"

Oh, so they're doing this again. She cringes a little at her own answer. "Angela says I'm too good at being alone."

"That's God's truth," she thinks she hears him mutter. "And you decided to remedy that situation by going out with someone you don't even like?"

Defensively, she protests, "I never said everything I do has to make sense!"

At that, Booth twitches. His eyebrows start upwards and there's a slight dimple at the corner of his mouth. Not that she notices, or anything. "Are you feeling okay?"

She smacks him again, harder this time, and rolls her eyes. "I'm working on it, alright?"

"I am sorry it didn't work out though," he says (lies; she knows him well enough by now). Then: "Still..."

It irks her, but she falls for this trap every time. "What?"

There's a very suggestive wiggle to his eyebrows. "It sucks that you got the punishment but not the crime."

Brennan isn't good at metaphors, but she isn't stupid either. "Booth!"

Booth doesn't exactly seem sorry to have mentioned it. "It was only a suggestion."

With a roll of her eyes, Brennan finishes her drink. She can't exactly think what to say, how to bring up the conversation they had so long ago. She almost wonders if he even remembers.

"Am I?"

Startled, she looks up.

"Too Alpha male. I mean does it bother you?"

Temperance knows she's staring incredulously, but she can't seem to stop herself. And it's a little bit funny, the way Booth squirms when she looks at him like this.

"'Cause, I don't know if I can change-"

Finally making a decision, she stands, shrugs into her coat. "I already told you," she says, feeling lighter all of a sudden than she has in months. "I should have broken up with him first."


End file.
